Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Lopez Loaned to OKC

Sporting Kansas City has announced the first player that they have loaned to USL affiliate club, the Oklahoma City Energy. KC is sending third year pro, Mikey Lopez to OKC to begin the season with the Energy. OKC kicks off their season on Saturday with a game against in-state rivals, the Tulsa Roughnecks.

Lopez appeared in eight MLS games last season while splitting time between KC's two affiliates, Orlando and OKC. Those were his first MLS appearances for the club, having appeared in one US Open Cup game in his rookie campaign. He is currently still a Generation Adidas player, meaning his salary does not count against the cap for KC. But with this being his third season, this is going to be a big one for him to prove that he still deserves to have a spot on this team. That'll likely mean needing to have a big season this year, whether that's in Oklahoma or in KC.

Don't expect Lopez to be the only player to go on loan though, I expect a few others to eventually make their way there. KC's entire 2015 draft class could eventually go to OKC, but Saad Abdul-Salaam, Connor Hallisey, and James Rogers would likely be the favorites to go on loan. Amadou Dia could also be a possibility once Chance Myers returns and is able to go, especially if Jalil Anibaba does well.